Girl Monstar have reignited their long-dormant catalogue with the release of their new single Hate Train, a confrontational rock track that delivers a direct challenge to corporate exploitation and the misuse of power. The song arrives as the second preview of their forthcoming album GRRRR!! which will be released on 27 January 2026 through Vicious Kitten Records. The track is available on all major platforms except Spotify, as the band refuse to support organisations whose investment structures fund weapons technology.
The Melbourne quartet have returned to their roots with Hate Train, a song shaped by the same defiant energy that positioned them as one of the most important all-female bands in Australia during the late 1980s. Co-written by Sherry Rich, Ros Zimmerman and Anne McCue, the track pushes forward with a driving rhythm and lyrics that address corporate dominance in a turbulent global climate. Vocalist and guitarist Sherry Rich fronts the performance with her trademark intensity, supported by Anne McCue on lead guitar, Janene Abbott on bass and Sue Shaw on drums.
Hate Train follows Blue Cat With Green Eyes, released earlier this year as the first Girl Monstar track in 35 years. Both songs are available instantly to anyone who pre-orders GRRRR!! on Bandcamp. A short documentary celebrating the band’s legacy has also been released on YouTube, offering a concise overview of their influence as one of the earliest major touring all-women rock bands in Australia.
Formed in 1988, Girl Monstar developed a formidable reputation through over 200 shows across the country. They performed alongside Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Sonic Youth, The Hard-Ons, GOD, Hoodoo Gurus, The Divinyls, Poison and Skid Row, establishing themselves as a powerful live act. Their singles Surfing On A Wave Of Love and Joe Cool topped the Alternative charts in 1989 and 1990 and earned ARIA Award nominations for Best Independent Release. Their only album from the era, Monstereo Delicio, arrived in 1992 before the band concluded the following year, playing their last show at the inaugural Melbourne Big Day Out.
Sherry Rich moved into alt-country with Sherry Rich & The Grievous Angels, featuring Steve Connolly and Charlie Owen, then spent a decade in Nashville as a songwriter working with members of Wilco. Since returning to Australia in 2006 she has continued work with The Grapes, collaborated with Paul Kelly, Mick Thomas and leading Nashville writers, and released her 2021 album The Divine Crimson V.
Anne McCue shifted to Los Angeles and then Nashville, building a respected catalogue that blends country, blues, rock and pop. Her albums include Roll On, named Album Of The Year by BBC broadcaster Bob Harris, and Wholly Roller Coaster released in 2025.
She has toured with Heart and Lucinda Williams and played guitar on Robyn Hitchcock’s self-titled 2017 album. She also hosts Songs On The Wire on Nashville’s WXNA.
Sue Shaw, known earlier as Sue World, co-founded the pioneering all-female garage band the Wet Ones in 1981 while still in high school. Over the last three decades she has held a consistent presence in Melbourne’s garage scene with the Exotics, Plastic Section and the Wraylettes.
Bass player Janene Abbott returned to the line-up after years spent living in the Northern Territory. Reuniting with the band came at the perfect moment, and she rejoined fully prepared to pick up where they left off.
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